Art21 Announces Four New Members to Board of Directors

(NEW YORK — June 29, 2017) — Today, Art21 Executive Director Tina Kukielski announces the appointment of four new members to their Board of Directors—an exciting mix of industry-leaders in digital media, technology, entertainment, and arts education that reflect the future-facing organization’s mission to expand its reach as a global leader of digital content about contemporary artists. The appointees are as follows:

Sarah H. Booth, Bloomberg L.P., Global Philanthropy & Engagement

Will Palley, Google, Product Marketing Manager

Tucker Gates, Director and Executive Producer (Lost, Homeland, House of Cards, The Office)

Matt Ross, One River School of Art and Design, Founder and CEO

These strategic additions to the board are just one in a series of firsts for the organization this year. Art21 is now distributing over 50 hours of original video content on a redesigned, user-friendly website free and available to the public. Included in Art21’s 500-video library is Season 8 of their Peabody Award-winning PBS series, and, now, Summer of Shorts—a ten episode series that signals Art21’s first-ever programming devoted entirely to its digital films.

The new board members and the dynamic ten-week short film campaign reflect Art21’s focus on being a multi-platform series. “We’re using a mix of arts programming, and multiple channels for distribution, to achieve the mission of Art21: disseminating the artist’s voice into our culture at a time when we need artists more than ever,” says Tina Kukielski, Art21 Executive Director. “We continue to bring the best of contemporary art to the first-time art viewer. This is a particularly exciting time for Art21, as we diversify both our content and our audience.”

These four board members bring to the organization wide-ranging expertise, and passion for using digital media as a tool for arts education, and cultural fluency:

Sarah H. Booth is a member of the Global Philanthropy & Engagement team at Bloomberg L.P. where she manages Bloomberg’s corporate arts partnerships in the US and Latin America. As a part of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the company’s philanthropy & engagement program supports causes and efforts where the greatest good can be achieved. Through dynamic partnerships with a wide range of arts organizations, Bloomberg Philanthropies is committed to supporting the arts worldwide.

Will Palley is product marketing manager at Google, focusing on driving growth for one of the company’s largest digital marketing initiatives, Think with Google. He joined Google after leading brand marketing at Atlantic Media’s Quartz, and before that was responsible for global trendspotting at advertising agency J. Walter Thompson. Palley helps arts organizations connect with larger and more diverse audiences through the power of marketing.

Tucker Gates is an LA-based producer and director, whose works includes Homeland, Ray Donovan, House of Cards, The Office, Lost, and Bates Motel, of which he was the primary director and executive producer. He has directed national commercials for brands such as Hertz, Ford, IKEA, and Samsung. Gates directed host Claire Danes in Art21’s most recent season of Art in the Twenty-First Century.

Matt Ross is the founder and CEO of One River School of Art and Design. Founded in 2012, One River has embarked on a mission to open a hundred schools in the next five years to help transform art education in America. Its innovative program started in Englewood, NJ—one river west of New York City—and has now taught thousands of students across three schools, establishing itself as “a new direction in art education.” Previously, Ross was the founding CEO of School of Rock, where he helped to build the company into the world leader in music education for kids. He has previously held management positions in broadcasting, working for media companies such as Clear Channel, CBS and Viacom and is active in promoting Autism awareness and supporting organizations that build communities for adults with special needs.

About Art21

Art21 is a celebrated global leader in presenting thought-provoking and sophisticated content about contemporary art, and the go-to place to learn first-hand from the artists of our time. A nonprofit organization, Art21’s mission is to inspire a more creative world through the works and words of contemporary artists. For nearly two decades, Art21 has changed the paradigm for teaching and learning about the creative process.

Art21.org provides an unparalleled year-round, always-on look at working artists, a continuous digital presence for an organization that is widely recognized for a biennial television series. In addition to its Peabody Award-winning PBS television series Art in the Twenty-First Century, Art21 produces the online film series New York Close Up and Extended Play; and special artist projects including the Peabody Award-winning feature William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible. The Art21 video library houses over 50 hours of original video content—over 500 videos all open and free to the public. Reaching audiences of over 5 million a month, Art21’s digital initiatives continue the organization’s long-standing tradition of using the power of digital media to inspire audiences worldwide by exposing them to contemporary artists. Art21 also creates educational resources and professional development programs; an online publication featuring guest contributors; and a comprehensive website at Art21.org. To date, Art21’s short form films have had over 50 film festival acceptances across the world and have been nominated for a Webby Award and won a Cine Golden Eagle.

Art21 is generously supported by Agnes Gund, the Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides Foundation, PBS, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Major support also provided by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Gilder Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional funding provided by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Paula and James Crown, the Marian Goodman Gallery, Toby Devan Lewis, Brenda R. Potter, AXA Art Insurance Corporation, Deutsche Bank, VIA Art Fund, Wythe Hotel, El Anatsui, and the Terra Foundation for American Art, other private foundations and corporations, and our individual donors and members.